Strollerderby : linklove

Strollerderby Playdate: People Are Mean

Kelly Mills — Fri, 04 May 2007 11:03:00 GMT

When I dropped my daughter off at school yesterday, she was crying because she couldn't sit in the front seat of the car (I'll spare you the details of that saga.) As the kids were lining up to file inside the classroom, one of her little classmates turned to her and said, "Crybaby." I wondered what would happen if I ever-so-gently nudged that kid in the eyeball with my car key, and then I took a deep breath and reminded myself that there's plenty of jerks in the world and it's good for both my daughter and I to learn to deal with them without scratching corneas. Then I went off to blogland to find out how other folks deal with it.

The Cheeky Lotus took a bullet to save her kid's feelings and made me well up in the process. Big hugs, sister!

Meanwhile, the Sarcastic Journalist discovered that some people have no sense of humor. But she can sell sex toys at my house any day.

Suburban Turmoil had to take a polygraph just to facilitate a sleepover. FYI, we offer all our houseguests guns and crack while they watch our sex tapes.

Not So Pregnant has made up a handy checklist for potential single mom suitors. Sounds like some of them are jerks.

Now, If all that has made you lose your faith in humanity forever, get into your feelings with Beaker at the Poop. It's safe to love again.

Strollerderby Playdate: Notes to Self

Sarah, Goon Squad Sarah — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 11:04:00 GMT

Sometimes I really worry about my fellow bloggers, so I have compiled what some may considered linky love, but I am calling notes to self:

Don't open any mail from Bossy.

Next time when my kids puke in their car seats, Swistle is NOT the one to call for help.

Her Bad Mother reminded me why I didn't become a philosophy professor.

Don't let Dawn see the gnomes I stole next time she comes over.

Black Belt Mama is right. Why DO kids always end up injuring their faces right at picture time?

Strollerderby Playdate: Sippy Cups Are from Hell Edition

Mike Adamick (Cry It Out!) — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 11:05:00 GMT

Emmeline will not use a sippy cup. She'll play around with it for a bit -- maybe, if I'm lucky, she'll pretend to put it to her lips and then in an instant fling it to the floor. In the very beginning of trying to get her off the bottle, I didn't worry too much about it. But now I'm harboring fears of packing her off to college with a box of books, a fresh pair of pants and a bottle warmer.

So I did what any other parent would do in these times of crisis: head to the blogosphere, hoping I'm not the only one going through this. I'm not. Sippy cups are a scourge on humanity -- whether they're simply ignored or hurled across the room.

Daddy Diary knows a thing or two about sippy cup fastballs.

As My World Turns thankfully has someone to clean up after spilling a sippy cup.

Life's Crazy Sometimes reminds us that mastering the sippy cup is not permanent.

A Mother's Monologue says bottles and sippy cups are enough to create multi-generational feuds. Kind of.

Nap time is almost over now. Time to refill the sippy cup and prepare myself for battle.

Strollerderby Playdate: A Very Special Addiction Episode

Mike Adamick (Cry It Out!) — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 11:02:00 GMT

Strollerderby Playdate is a new daily feature in which we read blogs so you don't have to. Wait a minute, we read blogs and then direct you to them, so yeah, I guess you have to. Suckers. Know a mom or dad blog you'd like us to feature? Let us know in the comments.

There are a few blogs out there that I simply. have. to. check. every freaking day. No, I don't have a problem, if that's what you're thinking. Seriously, I can control it. You don't know me! Other blogs I have to check because my wife makes me or because they include porn. These don't have porn -- just great crafts and great writing.

Putting it lightly, Molly Chicken knows a thing or two about crafty kids toys ... toys you'll never let them mess up. Ever.

Flailing My Arms is one kick-ass writer. With a cute kid to boot. What's not to like?

Chicken and Cheese is a must-read for my mid-western fix and an open heart.

Oh The Joys just kicks ass.

World of One Thousand Different Things is literary, poignant and perfect.

I'm addicted to many more blogs -- too many, really. I should get help. And you should help me. Seriously. I'll list a few of my other favorites next Wednesday, and you let me know yours. And also which step you're on.

Apartment Therapy: Nursery Edition

Patti — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 13:53:00 GMT

I'm pretty pleased to share this news: one of my favorite flavors of site candy just got hip to the parenting thang. Welcome to Apartment Therapy: The Nursery.

I've been loving Apartment Therapy from afar for a while now--even though I technically live in a house, it's about half of the size of our previous (and pre-kid) flat. We're, shall we say, very cozy over here. Apartment Therapy's focus on small-scale space is right up my alley, and AT: The Nursery follows that same aesthetic. I look forward to gleaning innovative ideas to keep the toys and tutus at bay when space is at a premium.

Linklove: The Good Ol' Days, Well, They Kinda Sucked

JasonAvant — Tue, 30 Jan 2007 03:24:00 GMT

I hate "Forwards". You know what I'm talking about - those obnoxious forwarded messages that encourage you to be kind to a stranger, tell you that "You Know You Went To High School In The 80's If...", or explain why everything's Bill Clinton's fault. No good can ever come of these pieces of tripe; in fact, I've discovered their source, the Necronomicon of Tacky Emails.

New York blogger Panthergirl clearly has no use for this dreck. She does a nifty dissection of one particular forward that's been in circulation for a few years, and makes the point that the Good Ol' Days were clearly the product of deluded minds. According to the Good Ol' Days forward, everything back then was swell, Pleasantville was a real place, and life was a conservative's wet dream. Not so much, says Panthergirl; go read her pointed and pretty funny reality check.

LinkLove: Kids' Craft Weekly

Patti — Sat, 27 Jan 2007 00:41:00 GMT

Kids' Craft Weekly provides simple, inexpensive, crafts for preschoolers with a new theme every week--parties, pirates, bugs. The crafts range from classic to completely unique, and you can view them on the website or sign up to have the newsletter delivered to your inbox every week. Editor Amber Carvan encourages reader submissions and displays reader photos of finished KCW projects on Flickr. The perfect rainy-season resource, whether you're craft-challenged or just looking for new ways to inspire your petites artistes.

Homemade Vegan Twinkies: Perfect for The Crunchy Granola Family

Alisyn — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 01:17:00 GMT

My girls got one of these for Christmas this year, and I found myself wondering "what the hell are we gonna do with this thing?" They love baking "projects," but Twinkies? Nuh uh.

Then I checked in at one of my favorite food blogs, Vegan Lunch Box, and found this: a recipe for vegan Twinkies! I'm not a vegan, or even a vegetarian (unless bacon is a vegetable now), but I'll try anything once. And you know what? These were really good - even in comparison to "real" Twinkies, which, I'm only slightly embarassed to admit, I love - and healthier than their brethren to boot. The girls, though they've never had a "real" Twinkie, and don't have anything to compare these to, loved them as well. A fun, easy baking project for a rainy afternoon.

You gotta try 'em!

LinkLove, Emphasis On "Love": Ava Cipriani Benefit Auction

Patti — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 18:53:00 GMT

Ava Cipriani is a three-year-old girl undergoing treatment for neuroblastoma, an aggressive form of cancer that is generally not diagnosed until it has already reached a critical stage. She was diagnosed in spring of 2006 and still has a year of treatment to undergo.

Through January 31, Monkeyhouse Toys and Art Gallery in Los Angeles is hosting Wishing Well, a display of art toys, sketches, paintings, and other items donated to benefit Ava's rapidly accruing medical debt. When the show closes, the works will be placed on ten-day auction through eBay.

If you're in the Los Angeles area, check out the crazy creatures and works of art at Monkeyhouse. And if you're not, consider placing a bid to help this little girl and her family get through a difficult and frightening time.

via BoingBoing

Link Love: DIY Charms For Your Kids' Crocs

Patti — Fri, 12 Jan 2007 18:00:00 GMT

Are you hip to Jibbitz, the little button-like charms that pop into the holes of a pair of Crocs sandals? My Little Mochi offers a tutorial on making your own shoe charms, out of ordinary buttons. One small flat button forms the bottom, a decorative button with a shank forms the top, and sturdy thread links them both together.

Is it as easy as MLM makes it sound? Well, the picture to the right is my own work. While I was waiting for the pasta water to boil last night, I had time to dig for my button box, sort through and find a couple of sleeve buttons for the base, find the only two buttons with a shank that weren't giant overcoat buttons, and sew them together with a needle and heavyweight thread. One red kitty cat, one giant rhinestone, two little girls waving their arms in the air and shouting "Woohoo!" (no kidding). And the table was cleared of buttons and shoes before the noodles were cooked. Instant gratification.

Don't have a button box? Your local fabric store will have the hookup. Small, flat shirtsleeve buttons are dirt cheap and come on cards of four or more. I tried both two- and four-holed versions, I thought the four-holed type worked better. Novelty buttons usually come in multiples of two, in just about every shape you can think of, suitable for any age and interest. Choose a spool of thick denim or upholstery thread and an ordinary needle and you're good to go. Threading the needle is the highest level of skill required for this one.

Linklove: Flashcards Are Better Than TV

Mike Adamick (Cry It Out!) — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 15:30:00 GMT

I love flashcards. I love them like I love ice cream. Or beer. I can devour them. And so can my daughter. The only difference is I chew first. We'll spend an entire morning flipping through a stack of Eric Carle animal cards, drooling on A for Alligators and nibbling on M for Monkeys. While I'm sure there's a way to play with flashcards that doesn't require a roll of Tums afterward, the point is we're doing something together. Without TV. And without the electric gizmos and doodads used so often to "entertain" children nowadays. (Yes, you can smack me now. Or go back to your Baby Einstein DVD. You pick.)

So a special thanks to AJ at Thingamababy for pointing out the advantages of Brain Quest cards, which are designed for toddlers but can easily be consumed by younger children as well. In a thorough review of the cards, AJ discovers there's more substance than "fluff" to them. Each flashcard offers a building block to conversation, allowing your toddler to not only build a strong vocabulary but also learn to take in the world around her.

The best part? "A 2-year-old would be hard pressed to play with these cards alone," AJ writes. While that's not ordinarily a recipe for success after a long day with a 2-year-old, a great set of flashcards can provide solid bonding -- and also, as AJ says, provide a needed break from all the toy's that isolate children during playtime. "Parents must be involved with this game, period" Just make sure you buy Tums first.

Linklove: Tell Your Kid To Sew It

Patti — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 17:00:00 GMT

My crush on Mia at One Hour Craft is fierce, and it just got hotter with this post: lesson one in How To Teach Your Child To Sew.

She so carefully outlines the steps, with pictures (of an actual kid, so you know it's really possible), that I'm practically salivating to get my girls off to the fabric store and then up and running. Oh, you think ages four and two-and-a-half are too young to sew? Well, you're wrong. Erin at A Dress A Day profiled a three-and-a-half year old last summer who did most of the grunt work on her very own dress.

So when your mother used to tell you she made all her own clothes by the sixth grade, she probably wasn't shitting you.

LinkLove: Sock Monkeys A-Go-Go!

Patti — Thu, 04 Jan 2007 17:00:00 GMT

There's this basket next to my dryer where I put all the socks that come out of the wash without their mates. Once exiled to the Island of Misfit Socks is to be forever exiled; the matches never surface. I remain an eternal optimist and a frequent purchaser of new socks. But it being a new year and all, I think it's time to face reality and empty the damn basket.

And as always, the blogosphere comes through with perfect timing: via whipup, the Sock Monkey Tutorial. The folks at Super Sock Monkey also sell socks, if you somehow have no mismatches or if you're really into the traditional red-heel sock look, and they sell pre-made sock monkeys too, if you have a sock monkey urge but aren't inclined to make one. As for myself, I'm all about the colorful versions as pictured to the right (web-goddess's monkey via craftbits). web-goddess's own tutorial is here, and don't miss her sock monkey tribute to Brokeback Mountain. Once you see it, you won't be able to quit it.

It's settled: I'm setting up a sweatshop and teaching the kids to shove batting into tails. It remains to be seen whether this will be considered a great honor or a terrible punishment.

LinkLove: Navigating the Holidays With Special Needs Kids

Patti — Sun, 24 Dec 2006 00:21:00 GMT

I've been loving this blog for years and am stoked to have such a great excuse to share it with y'all: Leelo and His Potty-mouthed Mom's tips for surviving the holidays with an autistic child. And truly, these are great things to keep in mind even if your children don't have special needs; kids of all stripes get overstimulated by the noise, the sugar, the strangers, the travel. Take it to heart.

All Over But the Wrapping: Last Minute Giftwrap Ideas

Patti — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 19:06:00 GMT

Yeah, we haven't even started. I've been wrapping gifts to deliver to friends on a case-by-case basis, but the majority of them are still unwrapped, in shopping bags out in the garage, and the rolls of paper are still in the trunk of my car. Once I bring them in, I'll be obligated to find something that the girls can do to "help" so I won't have to keep reminding them that scissors and tape are Mama Toys. Oh, I could let them help for real, but then the presents would look as though Santa had a team of wild dogs instead of reindeer, and I still have some of my pre-parenthood dignity intact.

I'll start by printing out some of these gift tags and letting the kids go to town with markers, crayons, and colored pencils. Anna Maria's cute dress-shaped tag will keep them busy for a good long while. More gift tag links are here at Lifehacker. Also via Lifehacker, beccajo's great idea for printable wrapping paper at her Curbly blog, which looks so cool for smaller packages and would also be a great coloring project for the kids.

Here's another gift tag idea at Pink Chalk Studio: break out the safety scissors and glue sticks and use paper scraps to make these little trees (you can find the tags at any office supply store), and I love Beth's environmentalist wrapping job, which Parent Hacks reworks as an excuse to thin your child's art collection (Parent Hacks also suggests assembling everything before you wrap it, which I heartily endorse).

Whatever you wrap with, check out the instructions for Japanese gift wrapping techniques at Whip Up. You may never go back to the old way.

Linklove: Is Late-Night Christmas Shopping a Form of Child Abuse?

thezeroboss — Fri, 22 Dec 2006 06:26:00 GMT

Izzy at IzzyMom lays into parents who take their small kids out shopping after 10pm. By her observation, a disturbing number of moms and dads think it's hunky-dory to cart their wee ones around until they melt down in a wail of exhausted tears - or, even worse, get them so tired that they cross the line into hyperactivity. As Izzy decrees:

If they’re running around like you just shot ‘em full of meth, it’s because they’re OVERTIRED. You’ve been parents for what looks to be 3-4 years now. How is it that you don’t know this by now and what in holy hell makes you think that yelling your fool heads off at them is going to change anything?

As The Blogfather would say: "Indeed." In my experience, the vast majority of child misbehavior in public is due to idiot parents who want to stick to their preconceived schedules, their children be damned. Please, parents of Strollerderby: don't be that idiot. Every village may need one, but that doesn't mean you have to volunteer.

LinkLove: Holiday Treat Bottles

Patti — Wed, 20 Dec 2006 14:00:00 GMT

This is such a nifty idea from AfricanKelli: instead of filling jars with party mix and other snacky things to give as gifts, use plastic water bottles and give two gifts in one. Have your kids help make up some trail mix, homemade granola, or a big pan of the classic Chex Mix and then have them scoop your treats into the wide-mouthed bottles to pass out to your friends, their friends, or maybe leave out for Santa.

I've seen similar bottles in the dollar bins at Target, or make up some healthy nibbles and fill up a real Nalgene bottle for the outdoorsy people on your list.

LinkLove: Holiday Routine

Patti — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 18:00:00 GMT

Asha of Parent Hacks wrote up a great piece at Kiddley about keeping a routine during the holiday break from work and school. Very inspirational to parents like me, who tend to let everything go to hell when there's no specific demands on our time. Asha says "having a predictable sense of what to expect each day makes it so much easier for my kids to transition out of (and back into) school". Words of wisdom, people.

LinkLove: Graphic Design in Children's Books

Patti — Sat, 16 Dec 2006 14:00:00 GMT

Marian waxes enthusiastic about beautifully designed and illustrated children's books at graphics design site Under Consideration's community blog. Interesting and provocative additions to the libraries of pre- and elementary school aged kids.

LinkLove: What To Do With All That Artwork

Patti — Thu, 14 Dec 2006 22:17:00 GMT

Orly at PrawfsBlawg explores a question I was pondering myself here just the other day: What to do with all the artwork your kids produce? Some great suggestions coming in from his commenters. What great ideas have you come up with for controlling the paper beast?

Linklove: The Anti-Racist Parent

thezeroboss — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 18:22:00 GMT

Thanks to my bud Genuine, daddy-blogger extraordinaire, for turning for turning us on to The Anti-Racist Parent, a blog by the company New Demographic that educates parents about how to raise kids free of racial stereotypes. Is that even possible in our society? According to recent indicators, most of us see racist assholes all around us...when the racist is likely staring us in the mirror. Still, it's like a Zen priest who worked with the homeless once said: I may not be able to end homelessness, but I'll die trying. Check out this blog, which includes articles by parenting blog luminaries such as Karen Walrond, and edjumacate your racist ass.

Linklove: The Most Appropriate Snack

thezeroboss — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 12:28:00 GMT

Silicon Valley Moms Blog has the scoop on the new parenting-oriented snack from the makers of Pirate's Booty, noting that it's designed to "capture the Mom market." And no, they didn't name it "My Husband is an Asshole." Though I hear Nabisco has something in the works...

Linklove: Mr. Progress, Your Party of 18 is Waiting...

thezeroboss — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 21:11:00 GMT

Ever hosted a birthday party for 18 kids? Dad in Progress just did - and somehow, he survived to tell the tale. Go read how DiP endured this onslaught of farting and nose-picking.